8 In Scotland

Boat Tour at Loch Katrine | Scotland

At the beginning of the month, the Brit’s parents were in town and we all headed out to Loch Katrine for a mini Scottish adventure. There is a steam boat that crosses the loch and I’ve had it on my bucket list for a while. Neither the Brit or his dad had been there (they did cycle the path together when the Brit was a wee boy) and his mum had taken the steam boat when she was just a girl. So it was a fun adventure to have together!

We arrived a bit earlier than our boat time, and walked along the coastal path for about an hour. It was really beautiful and the day turned beautifully sunny at that point too. In the shadows however the midges came out to hunt. I had several bad bites for the following week. But that would never stop me!

The loch itself spans 13km long of fresh water, surrounded by the Trossachs National Park. The loch serves as the main fresh water supply for Glasgow and has done so for over 150 years. 

The boat we were on was the steamship Sir Walter Scott, named after a famous Scottish author. The boat has been sailing for over 100 years, since 1900 to be exact. It still has its original engine, but since last 2007 they have stopped using coal to fuel it.

We were first on the boat, the last of the day, and we picked the front row seats. It was windy, but worth it. Those views were magnificent. It was so much better than I had anticipated! We went around as they told us about the surroundings and we got an amazing view over the mountains. 

At £16.50pp it’s a bit steep, but it’s a nice wee boat tour and I recommend it mostly for the gorgeous views. And the drinks! They serve thematic hot drinks and I treated myself to a Rob Roy (a hot chocolate with Bailey’s = yum!).

Do you enjoy boat tours? Next stop for us is start hiking those mountains! 😀 xx

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